#65
Evie wiped her hands and walked to the window. Indeed, there was a lady walking up the drive, jerking, weaving, stumbling as she walked more sideways than in a straight line. Evie had no idea in the world who the person was. She looked weak, in poor condition, a small backpack hung loosely over one shoulder and a ratty looking coat bundled under the other arm.

A tramp, Evie thought disgustedly. Just what she didn't need was a probable confrontation with another hungry person.

"I want you kids to stay inside and don't make any noise. I don't know who this might be, so I'm gonna have Inky with me for protection." Five sets of eyes widened and nodded at the same time. Evie almost got a set of the giggles. They looked like a set owls, all lined up on a branch.

She picked up the cabbage stomper and slipped it in her skirt pocket, smoothing her apron on top. No sense in being stupid, she told herself.

The woman drug herself up to the porch. She pushed hair out of her eyes, fixed her stare on Evie and said in a thick, weary voice "Are you Evie. Here I am." The road weary woman swayed on her feet. "I thought I'd never get here. You sure do live in an out of the way place."

Evie stared at the woman. There was nothing remotely familiar in her face, nothing that she could put a name too.

"I'm Sarah," The woman replied, just like that would explain everything to Evie. "You know, Sarah,....Ron's wife. When did Ron and the kids get here. I was so far behind them, I never could catch up."

The first thought to enter Evie's mind was, I've got to stop thinking about people. It seems like when I do, they seem to materialize.

"Your Ron's wife?" Evie repeated stupidly. "I've never met you. And just where is Ron? and why are you here."

"Ron always said to come here if there were problems. He even made us all a map. See here is mine;" she thrust a much folded, dirty creased page of notebook paper toward Evie. "So here I am, arn't you glad to see me." Sarah sat on the porch and fanned herself with the paper. "My feet hurt and I need to take a bath. Have Ron get one ready for me, thank you Evie...isn't it," Sarah started to breeze past her sister in law into the house, but found her way blocked by a thin but very determined woman.

"Far enough," Evie growled with much more bravery than she felt. "I don't know you, so your not going in my house. Sit down right back where you were." Evie put her hand on the cabbage stomper, to boost her confidence. Inky moseyed over to sit in front of the door, he smiled at the intruder with a curled lip that revealed large, strong, sharp teeth. Inky felt he was being down right charitable by not biting the woman.

Sarah sat down with a thump. This turn of events was not what she had anticipated. Ron had always said his sister was a bit different, but this was outrageous. She obviously didn't know whom she was speaking with. Sarah herself was a Westman from San Francisco; she had married Ron and she conceded that it had been an uphill battle to bring him up to her social status. But she was tireless when it came to something she wanted. Very tireless indeed.

"Where did you say Ron was?" she questioned, somewhat annoyed he hadn't come right out to greet her. After all, they had been apart for quite some time. He should be overjoyed to see her.

"Ron is not here," Evie enunciated slowly. "It's been 40 years since I've seen him. Ever since he married you." She added tartly.
"I wonder why that was?" The wedding memories of Ron Hanson and Sarah Westman were as fresh and raw as if they happened yesterday. Sweet young Evie had been treated as a country bumpkin by the sophisticated San Fran women of the wedding party. The memory still stung.


Evie glanced up. There in the window were five faces watching with eager interest at the going's on. Noses pressed against the window. Waving them outside, she had the clan line up behind Inky. Thump, thump went Inky's tail. Wafting the special sent of eau d' skunk towards Sarah.

"Oh gag." she choked and sputtered. "What is that smell?"

"Inky's skunk," five voices happily recounted the story to Sarah. The woman's eyes glazed over as the children laughed and giggled. Sarah was exasperated. She wanted a bath, she wanted Ron in attendance, and she wanted away from that horrible smell.

"It's Ev," Brett yelled in glee. "He's com'in across the pasture and he's got a walloping big sack with him. On boy, I wonder what he's got."

"Mizz Evie," the lanky neighbor spoke his greeting. "hows you'ns be today?"

Sarah made a big show of putting her hands over her ears to block out the offending grammar. Ev looked Sarah over pretty hard, and then smiled a smile that looked startlingly like the one Inky gave the interloper.

Inky, Evie and Ev. looked at each other and broke out laughing. Sarah was highly offended by the joke at her expense. She was sharp enough to tell when she was the butt of a joke. Suddenly she had second thoughts about staying at this place. She was beginning to think this had been a real mistake.

"Everett, I have a problem. This lady says she is my sister in law, but I haven't seen her for over forty years. She claims my brother should be here, but he's not, and I don't think I recognize her as the woman that married my brother. I don't want her staying here," Evie spoke with a finality. "Please take her into town to stay at the ...place." Her meaning was clear to Ev. Evie wanted Sarah taken to the roadhouse.

Ev had to agree. That woman didn't look like one he would want around a tribe of kids. He was glad Evie felt the same way.
Inside Ev was laughing. As a man with a Masters in Economics, he dearly enjoyed putting on the mask of a non educated fool. Most of the time it was worth a few laughs. Cheryl didn't think much of his spoofing, but she let it be.

"I'll go get the pickup," Everett replied. "Do you want Cheryl to come over for a bit" Evie considered and then agreed."That might be best. Thank you Ev."

"Help me, help me," Sarah was begging in terror. Inky had her cornered against the skunk sprayed door not letting her move away from the hot sun warmed stench. "Guard Inky," Ev commanded, and the Newfey smiled in his special way. Teeth gleaming in the sunlight.